Teachers and students from schools of all levels are fanned across the state today as part of a "day of action" that started with discussions at University of California-Berkeley and spread across the country.

Here's a running account of the protests.

SANTA CRUZ — 9:00 p.m.

Just before 9 p.m., the group headed to a Front Street parking structure and the crowd mostly dispersed.

All in all, said Santa Cruz Police Capt. Steve Clark, actions within the city were peaceful.

"There's been no other acts of violence, no vandalism," he said Thursday night. "We're just putting together resources and preparing for what they are going to do tomorrow."

SANTA CRUZ — 6:30 p.m.

About 150 to 200 students left the base of UC Santa Cruz and were headed to the Town Clock at 6:30 p.m., according to emergency radio traffic. The group was trying to decide what the next steps would be. The options being debated were taking the protest downtown tonight, occupying a campus building or continuing the strike on Friday.

SAN FRANCISCO — 6 P.M.

Shortly before nightfall, hundreds of protestors of all ages filled San Francisco Civic Center for a noisy upbeat rally. A group of six San Jose State Unified School District classified workers joined the protest to make sure the voices of support staff were heard.

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The decline of bus drivers, cafeteria workers, classroom aides and secretaries have created real hardship for children in poorer districts, said Robin Hill, a San Jose office technician.

Kids waiting longer in lunch lines often end up skipping their only meal of the day, she said, and families who lack insurance can no longer rely on medical care at school.

"We can't support the kids in the way we would like to," Hill said. "Paper, pens and pencils they are all lacking." A mother- daughter pair of teachers from San Mateo carried a symbolic coffin through the throngs of protestors Thursday.

Wendy Smithers, a third-grade teacher, and Aura Smithers, her daughter, who teaches seventh grade, said the coffin represents the death of teaching jobs, counselors and small class sizes.

"It's the death of the future success of our children," Aura Smithers. "I know it's a real tough economic time, but cutting education is just going to be more detrimental to our communities to our society and to our state as a whole, enough is enough." Cristina Ruotolo, associate professor of humanities at San Francisco State University, said she is teaching 75 students in classes that once had 55. The increase means less participation in classroom discussions and fewer graded assignments.

"Sometimes there aren't even enough chairs in the room," Ruotolo said.

At state universities, students fees have grown almost 50 percent higher since 2007, while 5,300 fewer core sections are being offered, according to the California Faculty Association. But with record numbers of applicants, this year, Ruotolo said, coming together on Thursday felt gratifying. "A lot of us used furlough days to be here," Ruotolo said.

OAKLAND — 5:50 p.m.

Traffic is flowing again on I-880 in both directions. All downtown streets in Oakland are congested along the I-980 and I-880. Some protesters have been arrested and taken to Glen Dyer Jail. The protest was semi-planned; they marched onto the road from the I-980/I-880 interchange near Broadway.

OAKLAND — 5:48 p.m.

Northbound and southbound Interstate 880 have been reopened, although Interstate 980 remains closed as officers try to remove protesters who hopped onto the freeway earlier.

One protester had to be taken to the hospital after falling from a tree, although the extent of injuries was unknown.

OAKLAND — 5:27 P.M.

As many as 150 people have been arrested for blocking the freeway, Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason told KTVU TV. Protesters are lined up on the side of the freeway, waiting for officers to arrive and remove them. Thomason said it could take as long as an hour before the road is opened again.

OAKLAND — 5:15 p.m.

Protesters are being arrested after they climbed onto the Interstate 880 at Interstate 980 in Oakland. Traffic is backing up for miles in both directions as the arrests occur. KNTV is reporting that protesters began appearing on the highway at about 4:50 p.m. There may be up to 200 protesters on the freeway. Some could be seen lying on the pavement.

SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY

San Jose State University students squeezed in their protest during lunch hour, so they wouldn't miss classes.

Their theme was "Keep The Doors Open!" because budget cuts have reduced access to classes and teachers - and many students worry that they won't be able to quickly complete their degree and get a job.

"We are here to learn and to get an education," said Lauren Gray, 22, who protested between two classes, Advanced Research Materials and Child Psychology. "It seemed silly to protest, then not go to class." "With the furloughs, we're already losing classes. I'm a senior and I can't graduate in time, because I can't get into classes. They're not available," Gray said.

Added Kathleen Lynch: 25, "The course material is already so compressed. We didn't want to miss any time."

Students first gathered at City Hall, where professor Jonathan Karpf addressed the crowd: "Here are the ground rules: There will be no vandalism. There will be no confrontation. We will stay on sidewalks. We will be orderly, civil — and loud."

They were joined by faculty and staff, such as members of the State Employees Trade Council, whose members do dorm maintenance.

Then a crowd of 650 marched along sidewalks to San Jose State's Tower Lawn, stopping by Room 206 at the Paseo De San Antonio Walk. There they covered the office door of state Sen. Abel Maldonado with "Please Support Education!" letters and chanted "Abel Maldonado, We Need Your Support!" "We want to say thank you to all the legislators who support higher education — Assemblymembers Joe Coto, Jim Beall, Alberto Torrico and Paul Fong - and to appeal to Maldonado, who is a moderate Republican and is on the fence," said Joseph Tran, 23, of Milpitas.

As the crowd poured onto campus, SJSU administrator Fred Najjar said "I am proud of all of you. Together we can make a stronger SJSU. We are all together. We are all worried about access, quality and diversity of public education." Then he assigned some homework: "We're not done," said Najjar, vice president for university advancement. "Go to Sacramento. Go write letters to our elected representatives. It is not just about today, it is about the future of our workforce and economy." Then right on schedule — lunch over — the crowd disbanded and hurried off to class.

"I've got to go," said student Rohit Rao. "I've got a 1:30 Law and Society lecture."

SAN FRANCISCO — 4:00 p.m.

Hundreds of boisterous marchers paraded down a blocked off Mission Street in San Francisco late Thursday afternoon as they headed to the Civic Center for a 5 p.m. rally. Many chanted, "no cuts, no fees, education should be free."

Dominated by young people of all ages, the marchers carried signs like "Education not incarceration" and challenging elected leaders to "bail out schools not banks."

A pair of 10th graders from City Arts and Tech High School, a San Francisco charter school, complained of no text books, mixed grade classes and the cancellation of their tutoring center

Andrea Munoz, 16, said the protest march would capture the attention of th mayor and governor.

"If they notice there's a lot of students, they'll want to make a change."

CANADA COLLEGE, REDWOOD CITY - 3:59 p.m.

Holding yellow balloons with cartoon sad faces and signs proclaiming "Education is a human right!", students at Canada College in Redwood City joined a nationwide day of strikes, walkouts and rallies protesting cutbacks and the rising cost of education.

Students across the Bay Area, California and in dozens of other states organized demonstrations Thursday, in what was billed as a "Day of Action."

At Canada, a couple of hundred students gathered at about 10 a.m. for a rally in the center of campus, organized by student group "Canada Strikes Back." Between chants like "When they say cut back, we say fight back!" and "Education is under attack! What are we gonna do? Stand up, fight back!" student after student took the microphone to speak against state funding cuts for community colleges.

"This is basically what the governor's saying: If you have money, you can come to school. If you don't have money, sorry." said Mari Ortega, a student from Redwood City.

After budget cuts for 2010-11 are finalized, Canada administrators expect to have cut approximately $3.1 million from a total budget of about $12 million since 2008-09. Much of those cuts have been from adjunct or part-time faculty — in 2009-10, the school cut $847,000 worth of positions, and in 2010-11 expects to cut another $645,000. Canada also expects to cut 121 class sections next year, eliminating about 3,000 classroom seats for students.

Students say the cuts mean waiting lists for classes and fewer programs like counseling hours. Extra financial help, through programs like the state funded Extended Opportunity Programs and Services, which provides support for low-income students , is also harder to come by — students said that program had cut bus passes and reduced the amount of the book vouchers they give.

Chuck McKeever, a sociology student, said students in his classes have to pass handouts back at the end of class because the teachers can't pay to make extra copies. He said he's aware of at least five students in each of his classes who have dropped out because they couldn't afford school. He came to Canada in late 2007, hoping to transfer to a four-year university in a couple of years, but with cutbacks, said he can't get the classes he needs.

"Now it seems like I'm going to be going to school for as long as it would take me to become a doctor," he joked.

Many of the students said struggled to make ends meet before costs rose.

"I came to this school because I'm too broke to pay for school!" Ortega exclaimed into the microphone. "And now they want to take more money from me?"

Katy Rose said she has one class left to take at Canada before she can earn a bachelor's degree in comparative literature, after dropping out of UC Berkeley 17 years ago. But her family has fallen on hard times, and she can't afford to buy one of the last books she needs for school.

"I've got to count on it being in the library when I need it, and most of the time, it's not there," Rose said.

At the microphone, she called on school administrators to work harder to restore funding.

"We're going to tell them to fight instead of 'managing' these cuts, putting them in a pretty power point presentation, and shoving them down our throats!" she said to applause.

At the end of the rally, students walked to the college's administration building with a list of demands such as "no outsourcing" and "eliminate waiting lists."

College President Thomas Mohr stood outside to meet them.

"We support your voice," he told them. "We understand the issue. These colleges are your future and your children's future, so we need to protect them any way we can."

SANTA CRUZ — 3:30 p.m.

Hundreds of students broke off the main protest at base of the UC Santa Cruz campus at 3:30 p.m. and are marching on Mission Street toward the Town Clock to rally on behalf of public education.

Traffic is backed up on Mission from Laurel Street to Bay Street. City police are trailing behind the group. Other than traffic, there have been no problems.

The marchers, carrying banners, banging on drums and waving signs, began walking on the sidewalk of Bay but are now in the street. Cars are honking in support of the protesters.

Kindergarten through 12th grade educators, parents, students and supporters are gathering at the Town Clock at 4 p.m. to speak to the loss of school funding.

Santa Cruz City Schools is looking to cut $5.2 million next year while the Pajaro Valley Unified School District is facing the loss of $8.7 million next year on top of $14 million in cuts for this year. Those include cuts to custodial staff and an assistant superintendent, class size increases from 20 to 30 students in kindergarten and third grade, and the loss of all sports funding.

Scotts Valley is figuring out how to spread $1.5 million in cuts over the next three years. Other districts are dipping into rainy day funds to make up their differences, and nearly all are relying increasingly on parent fundraising.

Thursday's protests are part of a month-long demonstration for education, one piece of a solidarity movement by educators who are trying to show that troubles at one level of education impact all others.

SAN FRANCISCO — 2:51 p.m.

Dozens of people gathered on the steps of San Francisco City Hall early this afternoon, including students form schools throughout the Bay Area, many of whom received class credit for participating.

The students said the governor needs to reorder his Priorities. Many complained of long waiting lists for classes, part-time faculuty who are inaccessible and every diminishing course offerings.

"It's going to make my five-year degree turn into 10," said Heather Knudson, an 18-year-old freshman at Cal State East Bay, attending her first protest with two other classmates. "Students should be the future."

Andrea Stariha, a 33-year-old nursing student at Canada College, drove up from Half Moon Bay with her mother and two daughters to protest the cuts to higher education. Stariha said her graduating plans are increasingly difficult, given that Friday classes have been cancelled and there are few full-time processors.

The severity of the situation for many students offered plenty of satircal materials for the Raging Grannies, a Peninsula-based guerrilla theater group who frequent public protests.

Dressed as "billionaires for fee hikes" in feather boas and pillbox hats, the troupe members chewed cigars, shouting out advice to students struggling with fee increases to "sell a kidney" or "go pump gas." They chanted "poor people get a clue, universities not for you."

A stage is being set up for a larger protest planned to start at 5 p.m.

Protesters from UC Davis are clashing with police, who have fired bean bags and tear gas in attempt to subdue a restless crowd, according to The California Aggie, the campus newspaper.

A crowd as large as 350 people met with a California Highway Patrol and UC police blockade at an Interstate 80 onramp. When the protesters locked arms and tried to push through the police line, officers fired pellets at the ground as a warning but resorted to using tear gas which dissipated the group, the newspaper reported. A few more protesters have continued to advance on the officers.

REDWOOD CITY — 2:11 p.m.

All 17 schools in the Redwood City School District had demonstrations in support of the day's events, said Board of Trustees President Dennis McBride.

McBride attended events at Roosevelt Elementary and Hawes Elementary, which he said included more than 300 parents and students, chanting in unison and holding signs as they marched through Redwood City neighborhoods at around 7:30 a.m.

The trustees for the 9,000-student district are expected to consider cuts of between $5 million and $13 million from next year's $78 million budget, which could include shortening the school year by nine days, eliminating the instrumental music program and raising some class sizes from 31 to 34 students.

McBride said several young students he talked to were well-aware of the message the demonstrators intended to send to Sacramento lawmakers.

"They said, 'They're cutting our budget, we're going to have less days of school, we're going to have bigger classes,' so they understand it," McBride said.

OAKLAND — 1:50 P.M.

Students from schools including UC-Berkeley, Laney College, as well as Fremont High School in Oakland and Alameda High, are among those gathering at Frank Ogawa Plaza, which is now booming with amplified sound. Patrol cars flashing their lights and 16 motor officers were dispatched to keep the peace while news helicopters circled overhead.

Laney students kept the crowd warmed up, taking turns speaking and rapping about cuts that have mired school budgets statewide. Demonstrators at Laney staged a walkout about 11 a.m. but later cut short their own campus rally to join the activities downtown.

A Laney student took the microphone and encouraged the high schoolers taking part in the rally.

"When we saw you marching out across that lake, I was like, 'Damn. this is what a movement looks like," he said.

One of those in the crowd, Castlemont High School senior Alisha Logan, said the rally signified the kind of backing that students need during these tight fiscal times.

"I feel we all need financial aid because, besides the support of our family, we also need the support of our community," said Logan, 17.

Along the march path on Telegraph Avenue, about 20 elementary school students and a handful of parents stood at 42nd Street and basked in the car horns honking in response to their signs pleading that the state "Save our schools, let us be the future."

The marching crowd seems to be growing more colorful by the minute, evidenced by the bicycles interspersed through the crowd and eclectically painted motor home with a woman leaning out of a window playing the tambourine as chants of "Si se puede" begin to fill the air.

After the crowd crossed from Berkeley into Oakland, Berkeley police spokesman officer Andrew Frankel announced that the nearly 1,000 mobile protesters left the city without prompting any arrests or causing any property damage.

SKYLINE COLLEGE, SAN BRUNO — 1:40 P.M.

At Skyline College, about 200 students walked out of classes this morning and rallied in the quad.

They proceeded to march around campus and through school buildings, trying to galvanize other students to the cause.

"I feel all the answers — even to our economic crisis — will be resolved because of education," said student Tupou Taumoepeau, 35, who carried a sign saying "Stop Cuts, Cuts Suck."

Many students wore green armbands or buttons to show their support for school funding.

The color "symbolizes the money we need," said student Floyd Pitts, 19.

DE ANZA COLLEGE, CUPERTINO — 1:27 P.M.

A group of between 50 and 100 students is circling the campus, beating drums and carrying signs as they prepare to march to Cupertino City Hall. The group is growing somewhat as they go.

Earlier, six buses carrying 300 people left campus to join the larger protest in San Francisco later this afternoon. The buses were rented by the college's student government.

Before breaking up into the two groups, the students rallied on campus, with music by the San Jose Raging Grannies and a cappella singing groups.

John Cognetta, De Anza's director of college life, praised the leaders of the demonstration for being on the "cutting edge" of student activism.

The group marching to city hall will participate in a program there that will include an address by Cupertino Mayor Kris Wang

UC-BERKELEY — 12:45 p.m.

Several hundred protesters at UC-Berkeley have started a five-mile march to downtown Oakland, while hundreds more have already gathered and await their arrival.

The crowd of several hundred is boisterous but not rowdy and the protest has been peaceful so far as it treks through the city of Berkeley. Telegraph Avenue has been blocked to traffic, and police are stationed along the route, as well as on nearby streets.

Berkeley police spokesman officer Andrew Frankel said the Cal jazz band has been louder than the marchers.

"It's been the peaceful protest we have been hoping for," Frankel said.

Third-year UC-Berkeley student Tyler Eckert, watching the protest, said he supports the students' cause, but was upset protesters disrupted his classes today. The disruptions are a bad strategy, he said.

The amble crowd is marching to Frank Ogawa Plaza, which houses Oakland City Hall. They will meet several hundred protesters who have descended on the plaza. Students from schools including Laney College, as well as Fremont High School in Oakland and Alameda High, are among those gathering at the plaza.

UC President Mark Yudof, whose office is in Oakland, released the following statement about the demonstrations being held today:

"My heart and my support are with everybody and anybody who wants to stand up for public education. I salute those who are making themselves heard today in a peaceful manner on behalf of a great cause.

Our public institutions, from kindergarten to the doctoral level, have shaped our nation's course and are an essential piece of the American fabric. Here at UC, through the Master Plan for Higher Education, we have created a model emulated throughout the world. It's time that model started receiving the support it deserves in the place of its birth.

As my predecessor Clark Kerr often said, higher education should never be regarded as a cost, but rather as an investment. The university is an investment, not only in an individual's well being, but also in the public good. Public education drives a society's ability to progress and to prosper. This state's great public universities hold the key to our economic and social growth and are deserving of support by all Californians."

DE ANZA COLLEGE, CUPERTINO — 12:01 P.M.

The crowd is growing in the school's main quad as the festival-like atmosphere continued. Organizers say they will start visiting classes at 12:30 p.m. to invite other students to join them in the march to Cupertino City Hall. Meanwhile, some protesters are drawing chalk peace signs on the pavement and bottles of water are set up for the marchers.

De Anza spokeswoman Marisa Spatafore said the campus activities are completely student-driven, but the school has been supportive.

"From an academic perspective we absolutely support what they're doing and we've been helping them every step of the way," she said. She said that budget reductions have resulted in a loss of part-time instructors and fewer classes.

For example De Anza has kept some bathrooms open 24 hours a day for the students who have been camping out on the main quad since Sunday night.

CABRILLO COLLEGE, APTOS — Noon-1:30 p.m.

About 300 to 400 Cabrillo College students and staff playing music, chanting and carrying signs gathered at the campus quad around noon for the March 4 Day of Action event protesting funding cuts to public education.

Faculty members David Lau and Virgina Coe, student Colter White and others spoke, urging the crowd to band together to make public education a priority for the state.

"There is a need for a grass-roots movement that has the social power to contend for a different world," Lau said. "I think people forget that we can all struggle together for a different world."

Students returned to classes around 1:30 p.m. but a group of about 50 students stayed in the quad, playing music and chatting.

No problems were reported.

Community colleges are planning another rally March 22. Enough Cabrillo students to fill three buses to head to Sacramento to protest education cuts have already signed up.

Cabrillo College, with a spring enrollment of 5,514, is teaching the equivalent of 1,500 full-time students without state compensation, which runs between $4,500 and $5,000 per year per the equivalent of a full-time student. The college has preliminarily planned to lay off or reduce the hours of several full-time employees.

DE ANZA COLLEGE, CUPERTINO — 10:49 A.M.

About 50 students have gathered on campus in anticipation of a 1:30 p.m. march to Cupertino City Hall. The focal point is a group of a dozen people who have been camping out at the school, some since Sunday night.

"I believe in fighting for education," said student Alex Mendiola, one of the campers, adding he's had to contend with rain water seeping into his tent.

The mood is mellow as the students have been making breakfasts of omelets and organic flax pancakes and listening to Bob Marley and Michael Jackson songs.

Student organizers are hoping 8,000 people participate in the march to city hall.

UC-BERKELEY — 10:30 a.m.

A group of 40 protesters, armed with a bullhorn and banners, interrupted a physics class taught by Richard Muller after they got word he discouraged his students from taking part in demonstrations.

They got into a brief argument with the professor, a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship — known better as the Genius Award — and left. Before that, though, Muller gave the course crashers some parting shots.

"I encourage you to use this day to get an education," Muller said. "I object to violence and this is violence. Now it's time for you to leave. You've made your point, now please go."

UC-BERKELEY — 9:45 a.m.

An on-campus demonstration has swelled to more than 100 and has led to some minor skirmishes between protesters and students trying to get to class.

The demonstrators have blocked Sather Gate, a main access point, and have been encouraging their passing peers to join their efforts, calling for a student strike.

Students trying to walk through the picket have been met with physical resistance, which has resulted in some tussles.

OAKLAND

Hundreds of students from Allendale Elementary School in East Oakland are marching along 35th Avenue and have pooled together at the Interstate 580 overpass.

The students made the half-mile trek to the overpass, where they are garnering the attention of passers-by and freeway motorists.

UC-SANTA CRUZ — 8:45 a.m.

Medical staff were no longer allowed on campus. Students, who were controlling access to campus, had been allowing some health care workers to cross their barricade. Fire and law enforcement are, of course, being allowed entrance.

UCSC officials, via their Web site, are warning everyone, including employees, not to come to campus because of potential safety concerns.

Some vandalism has been reported.

UC-SANTA CRUZ — 8:04 a.m.

Students have blocked both entrances to the University of California-Santa Cruz campus and began marching near the base of campus as the March 4 Day of Action began.

Western Drive is blocked as dozens of students have lined the road stopping traffic. At Western and High, drivers and students interact as drivers make their plea to gain access through their neighborhood and onto campus. Those wishing access and onto campus are mostly denied including a sobbing health care worker, though those who say they live in Bonny Doon are allowed through. A contractor at the UCSC arboretum was denied access, which resulted in a strong exchange of words. He vowed to never hire any of the students again. He parked his vehicle and walked onto campus.

When asked why they didn't let the health care worker through, Mollie Kraemer, a student from Davis, said "well it's tricky situation and we're doing the best we can. One of the benefits and the faults is the majority decides." At 7:40 a.m., a Volvo sedan driver on High Street got into an altercation with students. A student jumped on the hood of the car while another smashed the rear window of the sedan as two UCSC police officers stood nearby. No one was detained, although the driver pulled over and was talking to the officer. He was attempting to drive through the line to go downhill from High Street onto Western.

Jeff Duncan of Felton, who works for the facilities department at the Baskins School of Engineering, said he had given up on getting into campus and was trying to get out of the area. The students surrounded his car and when he wouldn't roll down his window, they started battering his car and broke his back window.

"It's kind of ridiculous. I totally sympathize with their cause and I wasn't trying to get onto campus," Duncan said.

UCSC police declined to comment on the incident, but said there have been few skirmishes.

High Street at Cardiff and Bay at Noble are closed.

Hundreds of students, staff and faculty from UC-Santa Cruz, Cabrillo and K-12 schools are taking part in today's Day of Action to protest billions of dollars in budget cuts to California's public education system and police are warning motorists to take alternate routes or be prepared for significant traffic jams, especially on the Westside of Santa Cruz.

Students at UCSC did as they had vowed shutting down access to campus at dawn. They plan to picketing and holding rallies at 9 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. at the base of the school.

Santa Cruz police expect large portions of Mission Street, Bay Street and the downtown corridor will be affected by protesters.

Police encourage motorists to take alternate routes to avoid the intersections of Mission Street at Bay, Laurel and Chestnut streets; and Bay and High streets throughout the day. Drivers also should avoid Water Street in front of the Town Clock in midafternoon, when there is a planned communitywide protest.

In addition, police warned drivers to watch out for pedestrians and cyclists.

For information, go to www.ucsc.edu/news_events/protest/03-10. The campus radio station, KZSC 88.1, and campus communications hot line — 831-459-INFO — will provide updates throughout the day Thursday.

Also, Santa Cruz police will send out alerts, when necessary, through the new Nixle alert system. Register for free text and e-mail alerts at www.santacruzpolice.com.